Category: News

Frustrations continued to escalate among students as they anxiously awaited thefinal shipment of the Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) handbook last week. It was delayed due to a series of misunderstandings between the CSU and printing company SAMCO Impressions.
About 8,000 have been received out of the 14,000 that were ordered. “It’s just really frustrating that it’s the fourth week into school and we don’t have agendas, especially when you have five classes, it’s hard to get organized,”
says Bana Abdul-Haq, a political science and economics student.
The agendas are created annually by the CSU and are distributed free of charge to students. It was expected that this organizing tool would be available as soon as classes began. However, this year there was a marked delay in their arrival.
According to CSU president Sabrina Stea, the initial CD copy of the agenda was supposed to have been handed in by Aug. 6, a date Stea said was mutually agreed upon by the student union and the printing company. The printing company owner Osama Hassan refuted this and said the date agreed upon was actually Aug. 9.
A series of misunderstandings between the two parties ensued soon after the initial submission of the CD to the printer. The CSU complained that Hassan did not make them a priority and was not efficient in his work.
On the other hand Hassan, lamented the CSU’s lack of understanding of the printing procedures, alleging that the numerous technical errors the union made slowed down his job considerably and affected his business with other clients.
“A kid from day care could do better, than they did. They [the CSU] are not business people and they are not serious. Their graphics guy had no idea about printer specifications,” said Hassan.
He added that he regrets the day that he ever took on the CSU contract. Hassan said that he would rather do his client’s artwork because his employees know what they are doing, but the CSU insisted that they would supply the artwork.
Brian Apka and Malin Holmquist, both third year design students from the fine arts department said that the graphics were unbelievably bad. Apka added that there were a number of basic errors of design. Holmquist said that she would not use the agenda.
“We have some excellent people here [design students] and they could have done a way better job than this. They should have consulted somebody from our department,” said Apka.
Laith Marouf, vp internal for the CSU and who was expelled said that no one had come forward for the job and they gave it to Chadi Marouf, who had designed CSU posters the previous year.
Responding to Hassan’s accusation, Stea said, her committee took on a job they could handle by claiming many of the people working on the agenda had done it the year before and knew what they were doing. She added that she did accept some responsibility for the delay, saying the CSU was a little late handing in their final draft on Aug. 20.
Hassan said that the final copy was in fact given to him on Aug. 29 and that the time allotted for printing was 27 days, meaning that if he delivers by the time this article goes to print, he would not have been late at all.
Hassan has been paid two thirds of his quoted price with the last third to come upon final delivery. The contract allows Hassan to charge for delays caused by revisions and corrections and the CSU will pay the bill. The student union would not comment about that.
Handbook causes controversy Students who were quick enough to actually get a copy of the student handbook, entitled Uprising, have a different kind of complaint. Frederick Lowy, Concordia’s rector and vice-chancellor, has received many negative comments on the publication. He stated in a press release dated Sept. 21 that the CSU is an
autonomous corporation and the opinions expressed by its members do not reflect those of the university.
Lowy added that the handbook contained inflammatory and possibly libelous statements about the university and that the student union is has the full legal and moral responsibility for the contents of the handbook.
For many students, the problem with the handbook is its theme. “I am all for free speech but something was really off about the agenda. It seemed like a handbook for revolution,” said Adam Tzemopoulos, a fine arts student.
“A handbook is supposed to be something that gives information, not try to change your point of view,” said Saira Khalid, a Management Information Systems student.
Orel Tapiro, an economics student said the handbook was a disaster and had nothing to do with student life at Concordia.
A Muslim student, wearing a hijab was shocked at the content on page 81, which showed a drawing of a woman who is topless with a sex-toy strapped on. The woman refused to give her name, but did say that the pictures had very little to say to her.
“I don’t expect all students to feel the same way,” held Stea in defense of her editors’ opinions, “but our goal was to collect different points of view.”

The Concordia Student Union (CSU) is trying to kick corporations off campus and the union is calling on the administration to cut its ties to several of its corporate sponsors.
A motion, to be voted on at the Sept. 26 General Assembly, demands that Bell Helicopters Textron Canada (BHTC), Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) and Nortel Networks be expelled as corporate sponsors of the university, alleging that these companies “supply the tools of war…[and] profit from the murder of union activists by paramilitary death squads.”
The motion also calls for the removal of BHTC’s Jacques Saint-Laurent, its vp of engineering, from the Board of Governors (BoG).
David Bernans, researcher for the CSU said that what was most important about the motion was that it would put pressure on these and other corporations that fund the university to at least adhere to some minimum standards of conduct.
Bernans pointed out why BHTC should be left by the wayside. “[BHTC] has supplied helicopters in every major conflict of the last thirty or forty years and Nortel and BCE, whose efforts to privatize the Columbian telecommunications industry began at the same time that public sector union activists became the targets of paramilitary death squads in that country.”
Dennis Murphy, the executive director of communications at Concordia, was unhappy with the motion. “The motion is completely unacceptable to the vast majority of the Concordia community, including students, staff, faculty, alumni and our various supporters. We have received a flood of calls expressing outrage at the motion.”
CSU president Sabrina Stea explained that the union has always been talking about corporatization of the university. “The corporations have been moving up the university hierarchy in recent years, and now they are on the highest decision-making bodies.” Stea questioned corporate motives for involvement at Concordia. “Corporations are having an impact on the curriculum. Arts & Science classes, such as those that deal with critical-thinking and social ethics, are being cut. That takes away from what a university is. University is a place where critical thinking takes place, and where questions are asked. But corporate involvement is undermining that.”
Stea acknowledged that expelling the corporations from the school would likely mean the end of their funding for Concordia, but argued that the loss of funds would force the administration to action. “The administration will have to go to the government and demand more funding. Education is not a privilege; it’s a right.”
Concordia’s administration will be in no way bound to take action if the motion passes, but the withdrawal of BCE and other companies from Concordia job fairs suggests that the motion is already having an impact.
The motion concludes with a call for the addition of new course to the BCE Nortel-financed International Institute of Telecommunications (IIT) on the social impact of the privatization of public services. But if BCE and Nortel are expelled, the future of the IIT could be in jeopardy.
Stea disagreed. “The [IIT] would not necessarily have to be eliminated. If the university values it, it can exist, but the administration has to get the funding from the government.”
Bernans said that this final part of the motion is at the heart of the issue.
“If we can get the new course in place, we can ensure that students in the IIT know what the corporations that are funding them are doing, and can act appropriately.”
In an editorial published on Sept. 25, The Montreal Gazette suggested that, “student unions should represent the best interests of as many students as possible. By chasing prospective employers from campus through a malicious campaign of intimidation based on distortion of fact, the CSU shows how out of touch it is with student concerns.”

On Sept. 26, the Concordia Student Union (CSU) will call upon Concordia students at their general assembly to contest the university’s collection of the capital campaign fee.
Roughly 60 per cent of students are eligible for a refund. According to CSU figures only 10 per cent of students have filled out the forms for a refund.
The CSU argued that these fees are illegal and unethical. “It was a backdoor tuition hike, these fees are just a way to put more money into the university’s coffer,” said Patrice Blais, the CSU’s vp finance.
Concordia administration said that the money collected from these fees are crucial. “Universities have been hard hit financially starting in the mid 90’s [and] we’ve lost 25 per cent of our operating budget,” said Chris Mota, a public relations officer for the university.
According to Mota, students benefit from the capital campaign fee, since the funding goes to athletics, student life, library collections, as well as
scholarships and bursaries.
The administration approached the Concordia Council on Students Life (CCSL) in March of 1997 with the idea of the capital campaign fee. “Nowhere did the administration make any decision. They just stressed the need,” explained Mota.
“All elected students were invited to attend. The students voted in favour of the campaign.”
Mota added that external donors, such as companies and graduates, are more willing to donate to a fund such as the capital campaign if they are reassured that students are involved.
At first the capital campaign fee was $1.50 per credit and it went up to $2.50 per credit. Mota said that the CCSL made the fee affordable.
Blais disagreed. “It’s an involuntary contribution from the students because it never went to referendum when the question was put to referendum by the CSU last March, the students voted 90 per cent against.” He added that the Concordia Foundation, which allots the collected money is not obliged to give any funds because they are a private foundation and they make the final decision of how
the money is spent.
He stated that university funding is an investment. Mota agreed. “The problem is finding investors. The CSU thinks that Concordia should lean in on the government and stop digging into the student’s pockets for the capital campaign fee.”
“We are pressuring the provincial government. The government relations office is very active. We’ve signed a performance contract and we’re constantly talking to the government,” said Mota. Blais said that the capital campaign fee should not exist at all.
Mota added that is not enough to cover the costs of instructional and
information technology around the university and that is why there is the need for the administration fee.
Andrea Paterson, an accounting student, had no qualms paying the disputed fees.
“We have the cheapest tuition in Canada. If we have to pay more to improve the school, I don’t mind.”
“It’s overkill,” said Colin Phelps, an electrical engineering student, “I am
taking 13.5 credits this semester, so that’s almost $1,200.”

Concordia University held a gathering Sept. 14 to respond and to reflect on thetragedy in the United States.
About 60 people attended the gathering, including different chaplains from different faiths, some university administrators, students and employees. The atmosphere was quiet and reflective. Eight people spoke at the gathering, including people in the audience who felt a need to express their thoughts.
“I was touched by the [gathering]… it helped us to reflect upon the
situation,” said Donald Boisvert, dean of students.
Imam Salam Elmenyawi told the gathering that the actions of the terrorists were appalling, horrifying and were the most evil and heinous crimes. He added after the gathering that it was a moving event.
“Muslims are being blamed and those that did it are those who have eroded values. Only a small number of people behave in this way. Many Muslims are victims of the terrorist attack. I am worried about about finger pointing and my worst fear has come true. I find that saddening. The bigotry and racism has caused me grief. But I have also received calls of support from other chaplains and Quebecers that support us,” said Elmenyawi, after the gathering.
Josh Margo of Hillel Concordia told the people at the gathering that we should strive for love and kindness and that we should pray to get a better world.
“This gathering touched me. It was an ongoing exchange of knowledge and gave off the essence of getting together and working together,” said Margo, after the gathering had ended.
American student Sarah Kelly, who attended the gathering, said that the event was a nice and touching. “The fact that the university did something on campus is touching. I really appreciated it.”
Manjit Singh, the Sikh associate chaplin, who spoke at the event, said that it was very appropriate and spoke from the heart. “It was reflective and I am happy that it was proposed and that we were able to get together. This gathering helped to rationalize the situation and come to terms with the with our emotions.”
Joseph Berger, a journalism student who attended the gathering, said that the event was very nice, sentimental and that he appreciates what what was said by the various speakers. “It was well intended, but I find there is very little that a small well-intentioned group can do.”

Several incidents of harassment directed at Muslim students took place at Concordia last week, as a result of the tragedy in the United States. Many Muslims fear retaliation.
Most of the harassment has been against Muslim women, said Sami Nazzal, president of Solidarity for Palestinian Human Rights (SPHR).
On Sept. 13 a Muslim woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said she was approached by a group of students when she walked out of the Webster Library.
The woman was wearing a hijab, a traditional scarf worn by some Muslim women.
“A girl in the group recoiled in mock fright, pointed at her and screamed, ‘Oh my god, she’s gonna kill me, she’s gonna kill me.’ I walked past them and when I turned around I could see them snickering,” recounted the woman.
Yet many Muslim women remain in fear. “Many of the girls I talked to stopped going to class. Others are dropping their night classes to register in day classes where they feel the daylight will provide some safety,” said Nazzal.
Incidents such as these are not isolated cases said Sobia Virk, a biochemistry student. Many Muslim students are feeling singled out and harassed by fellow students and faculty on a daily basis, added Virk. “It is not once or twice that I’ve felt harassed. It is now almost becoming a way of life.”
Virk knows all too well the hatred directed towards Muslims. Since Sept. 11 she felt an incredible amount of hostility from some students and even experienced a few incidents of verbal harassment.
“I was walking by a group of students, when one of them asked why won’t all these terrorist go back to their countries,” said Virk.
Virk said the remark was one of the more toned down comments. She did not have the heart to utter some of the more profane remarks.
“It’s not that the racism is solely directed at women,” said Nazzal. He believes the hijab that many of the Muslim women wear provides a clear identification of their religion and therefore makes them more prone to be targets of racism.
Nazzal tried to convince many of the women to report the harassment to
authorities. But he said that the majority of them are still too afraid to step forward.
At the senate meeting on Sept. 14, rector Frederick Lowy condemned the attacks saying that Concordia University does not tolerate any form of racism.
“I was born in this country, I am just as Canadian as anybody else,” said Virk.

In light of the tragedy in the United States, a journalism student is hoping to promote peace this week by having a white wrist band campaign on Sept. 19.
“I thought it was an incredible cause. Concordia is a political hotbed of racism and hatred. I want to do something about it,” said Mark Ordonselli, who came up with the idea. “It’s a great way to get everyone to take two steps back and realize how out of control things are getting.”
Stationed in the lobby of the Hall Building he and a group of students of
various nationalities will hand out the wristbands on Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The group was delighted when Fabricville doubled the amount of material they asked for. 2,000 wristbands will be distributed.
The office of the dean of students, student affairs, and other university
departments heard about their cause, allowing the group to book tables with very little notice.
“I don’t know if it will necessarily accomplish anything,” said Donald Boisvert, the dean of students. “However, a campaign like this may help raise people’s awareness and show some sense of solidarity.”
Ordonselli is expecting a good response to his campaign and the other volunteers are pumped as well.
“I know we have chosen to do something far more valuable than protesting or trying to convince people of our rightness and their wrongness,” said Katharine Childs, 19, a political science student. “The only people we are trying to prove wrong are people who think that they can accomplish anything by violence or confrontation.”
Patrick Boghdady, 20, is another volunteer in mechanical engineering at McGill University. “The retaliatory commando-style harassment and violence against Muslims and fellow Arabs is beginning to worry me,” he said. “I am a Christian Egyptian, and I get the very rare dirty look on the streets. Many Arabs, including Muslims, are equally disturbed. I hope, by my presence, to show that Arabs do disapprove of terrorism and that [it] should be annihilated, though not by blowing up… Peace is the answer.”
Ultimately, Ordonselli hopes his campaign might help inspire a move towards peace on Concordia’s campus. He remains adamant about his political allegiances: he has none.
“We are not affiliated with the administration, the CSU, or any particular club or organization at Concordia. We are simply a group of concerned students who believe that the fighting has gone on long enough.”

Several companies have decided not to attend career fairs organized by the Engineering and Computer Science (ECA) and the John Molson School of Business (JMSB) after the companies received a fax that criticized their practices.
On Sept. 13, JMSB had its career fair and the day before the JMSB’s fair took place, five companies cancelled at the last minute. Christelle Basmaji, president of the Commerce and Administration Student Association (CASA) said it took some convincing on the part of Jack Lightstone vice-rector of research, to have the companies return to the career fair, but some companies like Bell Canada Enterprises (BCE) and Merck Frosst decided to stay away.
“I was very upset. Everyone at the Commerce and Administration Student Association (CASA) had worked so hard to get this career fair off the ground. We had been working on it for at least six months,” said Basmaji.
Basmaji said someone sent the companies a fax of an article that appeared in the Concordia Student Union’s (CSU) newsletter The Unabridged entitled Making a Killing. The article mentions how three companies have led to the death and suffering of many people around the globe.
“We heard that some articles got sent to some companies,” said Sabrina Stea, president of the CSU, “but we were not aware that there even was a career fair going on. None of the executives or CSU employees sent that fax out.”
Mike Nimchuk, president of the ECA said that he was extremely upset about the whole situation. “We provide services for students and if the companies don’t come here they will go somewhere else to recruit for students. Merck Frosst and BCE told us that they would not come to our career fair because of the faxed articles from the CSU publication. They said that they were afraid to come to Concordia. We told them that we would get extra security, but they still decided not to come.”
Stea said that the CSU did not intimidate any company into not coming and she added that she did not know that both faculties had a career fair. “The articles are about critical thinking, that is what university is about, if we cannot be critical and promote analysis, then what is university all about?”
“Once the articles were faxed, our director of the career centre, received phone calls from the the companies and had to refute the claims. The companies were afraid to come and we had to reassure them and hire more security,” said Basmaji.
BCE was one of the mentioned companies, they refused to go the JMSB and ECA career fairs. Cherine Zananiri, director of the JMSB career centre, said that BCE decided not to attend because of the situation in the United States.
Representatives of BCE either would not comment or return any of The
Concordian’s calls.
Another company that did not attend both career fairs was Merck Frosst, even though they were not mentioned in the article. Zananiri said Merck Frosst received the fax, but decided not to attend because of the situation in the United States. She added that if the letters were sent, it certainly did not help the situation. “Merck Frosst has their headquarters in New Jersey and I think it was a nerve wracking time for them last week,” added Zananiri.
Giovanna Buscemi, university relations associate for Merck Frosst, said not going to Concordia was based on a business decision and with the tragedy in the United States in mind. “I was aware of a fax that had some blurbs about some companies, but we will still continue building a relationship with Concordia,” said Buscemi.
On Sept. 14 Basmaji went to CSU and asked them about the faxed article. She told them that they can do whatever they want, but they could not affect the services that CASA offers. She asked the CSU if they could apologize, but they said no.
In an e-mail sent to Stea, Concordia rector and vice-chancellor Frederick Lowy called the articles hostile and insulting. “If this is true, the CSU will have contributed to reducing job opportunities for Concordia students, the very people that you were elected to represent. The companies in question will simply recruit students and graduates from other universities. If the allegations are correct; the CSU has damaged the reputation of its own University and has adversely affected employment options for its students, its own members.”

After a demand from the university the Concordia Student Union (CSU) removed a poster considered “violent” and “offensive.” The poster is located on the outside face of the CSU back door.
Following a complaint last week the dean of students, Donald Boisvert, told the CSU to remove the poster or face consequences. For Boisvert, the words associated with the image made the poster violent. “The university wanted it taken down because of the message it sent to men.”
According to CSU president Sabrina Stea, Wimmin is a group of Concordia women who wish to remain unnamed. Speaking on behalf of Wimmin, Stea said the poster was meant to focus student union representative’s attention on sexism. “The poster targeted people who work here, hang out here and who need to work on their sexism.”
According to Stea the poster was not meant for the student population. It had been posted there because the CSU had considered the corridor part of their office space. “Not many students roam around there so it’s basically space used by people coming into CSU.”
However, Boisvert disagreed. “It was posted in public space.”
Stea said that the image of a woman carrying a gun was used because of its ties to the feminism movement. Although Stea finds guns offensive, she questioned why there is outrage when it is an armed woman. “Nobody’s ever complained about campus movie posters with big macho guys carrying huge guns,” commented Stea.
“Why is it offensive to see a woman with a gun?”
At least one individual found the poster’s contents disturbing. Chaplain Darryl Lynn Ross felt obliged to file a complaint. “The poster is hate literature that expressed a death threat against men. I feel that any male seeing that poster would have reason to feel threatened,” he said.